Dr. Levine cited by CNN News

When co-workers go from friend to foe

By Anthony Balderrama – October 2009

(CAREERBUILDER) — Growing up, plenty of people dished out
advice about what kind of job to get. I was told to find a way to get
paid doing what I love. I was also told to find a job that paid the
bills because I’d resent my passion if it were my job. Each person had
a story to prove why their advice was right.

Ultimately, I
listened to no one and just did what felt right. As a result, I
realized one size does not fit all for career advice.

The same
goes for befriending the people you work with, or bringing friends into
the workplace. For some people, friendship and professionalism go
hand-in-hand. For others, not so much. And for certain workers,
friendship was integral to the workplace until things went very, very
wrong.

"It can be very good or very bad — depending on a number
of factors, including the personalities of the people who are friends
and their relationship in the workplace.

For example: Is one
person insecure, jealous, needy or passive-aggressive? Is one
supervising the other? Are they in a very competitive environment? Are
there wide discrepancies between their salaries or earning power?" says
Irene S. Levine, author of "Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup
with a Best Friend."

"Because of the potential downsides, such
friendships should be approached slowly and judiciously to avoid
disappointments. You need to allow them to unfold slowly so you have a
good sense of the other person — and know whether the person is
trustworthy and has good judgment," says Levine.

Click here to read the entire article on CNN.com

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